Recognition of Gender Justice and Equality a Study of the Rights of Indian Women

Abstract

Women in ancient India are said to have enjoyed equal status as men in nearly all aspects newlineof life. Rigvedic verses suggest that women married at a mature age and were probably newlinefree to select their own husbands. In the introductory chapter the status of women in India newlinein the Vedic period, Post Vedic/ Upanishad, medieval period, and the colonial period has newlinebeen discussed. Additionally, the chapter discusses some unique features of Indian newlinesociety such as discrimination against girl children, dowry, how women are neglected in newlinefamilies, discrimination in inheritance, child marriage etc. By reviewing the literature, newlineresearch gap analysis, hypothesis, defining the research objectives, analysing the newlineresearch questions, discussing the research methodology, and working model of research newlinedesign, the chapter illustrates that women are still struggling for justice. The chapter newlinescheme specifies that the present thesis is divided in to seven chapters. newlineIndian women have been discriminated against and denied the right to property newlinefor centuries. Inheritance laws come under personal laws and vary among different faiths. newlineThis non-uniformity has also contributed to a continued bias against women. Most of newlinethese laws discourage the partition of property, be it residential or agricultural or newlineotherwise, as they stem from the fear of losing property after the woman s marriage. In newlinethe second chapter, this study discusses religious rights of Indian women on property; newlinetheir independent and absolute ownership, effect of remarriage, intestate demise, rule of newlinepossession, title of possession, self-acquisition, right to claim share and further newlineelaborated the dissimilar individual laws for married Indian women; like, the grounds of newlinemarriage and divorce under different religions, provision of Mahr , observing Iddat , newlinedivorce by mutual consent, grounds for divorce available to women, non-resumption of newlinecohabitation, repudiation of marriage/ Khayar-Ul-Bulugh. newlinexvii newlineThe goal of gender equality is to redistribute power, opportunities, and access to